


Laying out the Cards

by Fides



Series: Watcherverse [2]
Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Highlander: The Series
Genre: Halloween, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2005-11-03
Updated: 2005-11-03
Packaged: 2017-10-09 06:58:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,793
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/84286
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fides/pseuds/Fides
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Halloween and cards get laid out on the table.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

"Adam's coming over next week." Ethan cast the words out as an angler would his line. He felt that way sometimes – that he and Giles were both trying to land the legendary 'catch that got away' without being dragged in themselves.

On the whole Ethan considered it a good sign that neither of them were dead and gutted yet.

Giles glanced up from his toast and the paper he was browsing while Ethan monopolised the computer. "Over here – here? Or over here – London?"

Ethan gave him a look which he hoped conveyed the total stupidity of that question.

"The latter – definitely. The former – probably... unless you have a problem with that?"

"Just checking if we needed to tidy." Giles defended.

Ethan decided that he could, if he tried hard, get a little bit more derision in his expression. He had had years of practice after all. There was only so much stupidity that he could deal with before his second cup of tea.

"Tidy is a four letter word!" he declared flatly.

Giles smirked. "You don't seem adverse to any other four letter words." He shook his head slightly. "You know, I don't remember you being this bad when we were younger."

"When we were younger we were squatting with the rejects from London Zoo in a condemned warehouse. The rats next door only came around to complain about the smell."

Ethan caught the slightly wistful smile of reminiscence before Giles managed to hide it among the news print and English Breakfast.

"Fine," Giles conceded, "I accepted a chaos mage into my life – I accepted the chaos he brought with him. I just hadn't expected that to apply to the housework."

Ethan laughed. "You thought I would do housework? How sweet. Although I do know one interesting spell... the furniture does tend to start talking back though..?"

"So when is Adam arriving?" Giles wisely changed the subject.

Ethan needlessly consulted the e-mail he had open in front of him. It had been sent late the night before. Probably, Ethan guessed, after another difference of opinion between Adam and Duncan. Ethan didn't normally check his e-mail before the sun was well past the yardarm but he was waiting for a paper he was supposed to review for New Mage. Adam's response in their latest exchange was just a welcome bonus.

"The 31st. Eurostar, getting in late afternoon."

"Duncan and Joe?" Giles asked hopefully.

Ethan shook his head.

"Joe has the bar to see to. And Adam says no e-mailing him about his visit – he'll tell Duncan."

"And the problem with that is?" Giles sighed. Ethan knew his feelings about Adam's little games with Duncan, he even agreed with Giles to a certain extent, but he respected Adam's choice in the matter. And he and Giles weren't really in a position to point fingers.

"So you have told Xander I am here then?" Ethan teased.

Much to Ethan's delight Giles flushed slightly. Still, Ethan didn't want Giles to think about his fellow Watchers too much. It made him... gloomy. And a gloomy Giles wasn't a fun Giles. It was something of an effort for Ethan to accept that his Ripper was now Giles. Ethan didn't like effort so life was just easier, and safer, all around when Giles wasn't being what Ethan thought of as too Giles-y. Luckily there were a few things that were guaranteed to remind Giles just how much of Ripper was still lurking around in his subconscious. Coincidently they happened to be things that Ethan rather enjoyed doing as well.

Exiting the mail program, Ethan slipped out of the chair. Crossing over to where Giles was sitting Ethan lent over the back of the chair and wrapped his arms around Giles's neck. Resting his head on the top of Giles' Ethan pretended to read the paper. Giles looked up, head tilting under Ethan until they ended up brow to brow.

"Are you planning on strangling me or is this some strange sex thing." Giles asked bemused.

Ethan smiled and tightened his arms slightly. "It can't be both?"

Giles chuckled. "With you anything is possible."

"Getting sappy again." Ethan warned. He kissed Giles anyway, it wasn't that he didn't like Giles' random bursts of affection or compliments – they just made him uncomfortable. What they had was wonderful, but it was a temporary aberration. It had to be. The implications were just too scary to contemplate if Giles actually meant the things he said.

Giles squinted up at him, trying to focus on the man above him. "You are very upside down you know?"

Ethan allowed the features of Giles' face to merge and reform freely as his own vision struggled with the distance. "You say the nicest things" he told the one eyed deformation.

Giles broke the contact as he turned in his chair and pulled Ethan around and to him. Strong, knowing hands gripped Ethan with possession and promise. And, Ethan hoped, the promise of possession.

"You sometimes do them as well..." Ethan hinted.

Giles kneaded the taut muscle of Ethan's buttocks meditatively and drew the standing man closer. It hadn't escaped Ethan's notice that with Giles still seated he was at the perfect height for Ethan to lean forwards that little bit more and...

"Just sometimes?" Giles whispered, lips almost brushing the tightening cloth at Ethan's groin.

"If you don't do what you are about to do" Ethan told him seriously "I'm downgrading that 'sometimes'!"

Giles gave a final squeeze and turned his attention to the front of Ethan's body. With slow deliberation he slid open the button of Ethan's waistband.

"And what do I have to do to get an upgrade?" Giles murmured.

Ethan sucked in a breath as Giles began to play with the tab of his flies. Giles' teasing fingers occasionally straying to encourage the hardening flesh beneath his hands.

"I'd say you were going the right way about it," Ethan assured him, "but keep going and we will see."

Giles tugged the zip down slowly.

"So if I do this..?" Giles brushed a thumb over the bright opening that gaped between the gasping metal teeth. "Mmm – silk."

Ethan laughed breathlessly. "You saw me put them on earlier."

"And now I am going to watch you take them off." Giles released Ethan with a small nudged and Ethan backed up a pace.

They eyed each other with fake indifference.

"Oh you are, are you?" Ethan sniffed. "What do I get out of it?"

"Well first you get out of those clothes..." Giles' appreciative gaze power-walked over Ethan's body. "And then you get to find out."

"Ooh, a surprise!" Ethan only allowed the smallest hint of sarcasm to creep into his voice. Their teasing seductions had become more common as they had both regained some ease in each other's presence. When they had first returned from Paris every word had had to be weighed and measured before it could be spoken. The fragile peace they had found in Joe's bar repeatedly shaken and shattered by misunderstandings and recriminations, some unintentional and some deliberate.

Even Ethan had to admit they were learning to avoid the danger zones, or at least spot them and think twice before charging straight into them. Ethan wasn't sure if avoidance was necessarily the best policy but whatever it was that he and Giles were currently in, it certainly wouldn't survive too much contact with reality. Or possibly any. Ethan still wasn't totally convinced that the entire thing wasn't just a very tactile LSD flashback, whether his or Giles' he wasn't sure. Drugs or magic made much more sense than he and Giles actually finding a compromise they could both live with. Not that Ethan was going to object while the sex was good – some of his best times had involved some combination of magic and drugs.

Leaving his trousers hanging open on his hips Ethan undid the top button of his shirt and posed provocatively. "So what do I get?"

Giles leered. "To undo more buttons!"

Ethan slipped open the next two fastens.

"And now?"

A sharp knock on the door forestalled Giles' reply. Disgruntled Ethan pulled his clothing together and headed for the back room.

"If that is Scrappy-doo I am zapping him to Canal Street and his clothes to the nearest canal." Ethan warned as he retreated. "And I mean the canal nearest to me not him."

The one blemish on their otherwise spotless charade about Ethan's lack of presence had come when the youngest, blondest and yappiest of the Scoobies had turned up unexpectedly in Giles' doorstep. Expecting Pizza Ethan had opened the door and found a new definition of curiosity. Much to Giles' public chagrin and private amusement Ethan had immediately christened Andrew 'Scrappy-Doo', and occasionally Scrappy-Don't.

To Ethan's dismay, but as Giles had predicted, Andrew had decided to worship the ground Ethan walked on. The only comment that Ethan had allowed himself on the matter was to note that at least Andrew's dress sense had improved because of it. Keeping Andrew quiet had taken an interesting mix of threats and bribes, some to Andrew and some to Ethan not to go through with any of the threats. It also resulted in him continuing to drop around on too frequent and inconvenient occasions.

"I don't think he would see that as a punishment." Giles objected mildly.

Ethan smiled maliciously over his shoulder. "He will when you send Xander to collect him."

Sure he had had the last word Ethan closed the door behind him and left Giles to deal with whatever horror waited on the threshold.


	2. Chapter 2

Giles hid his smile as he answered the front door. He was mostly sure that Ethan wouldn't carry out his threat, just as he was mostly sure that he would disapprove if Ethan did. Officially at any rate. He would still send Xander to Manchester to retrieve Andrew though, Ethan's suggestion had had merit – the merit of being very funny.

He was almost disappointed when the question proved immaterial. The door opened to reveal neither Andrew or a otherworldly monster, what was on the doorstep was infinitely worse. It was human, probably, male, dressed in designer trainers, a trademarked t-shirt, trousers and a baseball cap. He was, Giles estimated, about ten.

"Trick or treat!" The boy drawled offensively.

Giles had spent enough time in Sunnydale that he had grown used to trick and treaters. He had spent the first few years hiding in the library but eventually he had had to admit that, strange as it was, Halloween was a community event. Trying to make small hyperactive children more hyperactive was apparently the way that Sunnydale wanted to celebrate it. That was America for you. After Ethan's not so little prank Giles had begun to have a bowl of sweets to hand. It was just chance that they were always laced with counterspells.

"I'm afraid I don't have anything." Giles tried politely, hoping that despite appearances the kid could take a hint.

"You could always give me some money." Came the suggestion.

Giles was beginning to see Ethan's point about some aspects of modern Halloween traditions. Apparently rather than monsters and ghosts the youth of the day had decided that the most horrific creature they could dress up as was the Chav. Maybe it would have worked if they hadn't worn the costume every day... The specimen in front of Giles certainly wouldn't need Ethan's helping hand to turn him into the beast without. Extorting money with menaces was probably a good start and, Giles had to admit, was probably closer to the original 'pirate' than any modern subversion of the term. Maybe what was staring up at him was the new pirate but somehow Giles preferred the traditional costume. He ideally wondered if he could persuade Ethan to don a little eyeliner and a frock coat. Ethan was normally amenable to such things, if you didn't mind the little twists he had a tendency to add in. Of course it was those little surprises that made time with Ethan unique. First he just had to get rid of the brat.

"It isn't even Halloween." Giles objected "It's not until next week."

"Yeh! And?"

Giles wasn't listening, thoughts of pirates suddenly keel-hauled. Next week. The 31st. Adam was visiting on the 31st... next week... on Halloween. And he didn't want Duncan and Joe to know. Adam and Ethan. Together. On Halloween. That was just a frightening thought. And he couldn't ask Ethan about it because that would somehow become his not respecting Ethan's religion and his not trusting Ethan. Trust wasn't the problem. He trusted both Ethan and Adam. Mostly he trusted them to get into and/or cause trouble. Especially when together and especially on Halloween. If Giles was going to be around to keep an eye on events, and his friends, that would have been one thing... but Ethan and Adam were planning on having all the fun without him. That just wasn't fair.

There was a warm presence behind Giles and he subconsciously identified it as Ethan.

"Bugger off, there's a good chap." He heard Ethan tell the boy.

Then the sound of the front door closing and the chain being fastened.

"Ethan?" Giles' voice sounded strange to his own ears, like it was far away and he was listening through a tinny speaker.

"Yes?"

Giles drew himself together.

"Is Adam going to be around long enough that I will get to see him as well? I've got to chaperon Andrew's bloody party."

Ethan smiled slyly, eyes warming with amusement. "Such a shame. But at least now you have a good excuse the next time you get yapped at about bringing me as a surprised guest."

"Andrew asked you?" Giles sighed, there were times he really wanted Ethan to do something nasty to that young man.

"Don't worry," Ethan kissed him, pushing him hard against the wall. "He was still the same species the last time you saw him wasn't he?"

'Unfortunately' Giles thought briefly but he slipped his arms around his lover rather than saying anything. Ethan didn't need any encouragement except to keep doing what he was doing. Giles moaned appreciatively and pushed his hips against Ethan's. Andrew's presence, metaphysical as it was, niggled though, distracting Giles from full enjoyment of the moment.

Maybe Ethan did want to be more open about their relationship? Did he feel like the secret that Giles kept from Giles' respectable friends? Giles didn't think of him like that, but maybe Ethan didn't know that. Maybe he needed to show him. They had always been better at action than words.

"Did you want to come?" Giles managed to ask.

Ethan pulled back far enough to leer.

"That would be nice. But if you meant Scrappy's little puppy pile – I would rather have root canal surgery! Seriously" Ethan kissed him "Without the anesthetic. All that toothsome sweetness... I'd probably need to visit the dentists afterwards, you'd have to divert there on the way to my new home at the asylum." Ethan shuddered theatrically, a sensation Giles rather hoped he could be persuaded to repeat. Giles wasn't above some persuasion, especially when Ethan felt so intoxicatingly hot and yielding and hard and...

A thud and loud, high pitched profanity interrupted Giles' efforts. With one slightly suspicious eye on Ethan Giles slipped out from between him and the wall and cracked open the door. The boy who Ethan had turned away empty handed was making a fast exit down the road, an unpleasant mass globbing from his cap and head as he ran. The calcium shrapnel decorating the pavement by the doorstep was the only indication of what had occurred. It was possible that Ethan had been breeding some type of brain eating, gelatinous monster in the portico and it had just hatched... but Giles liked to think he would have noticed, or at least Ethan would have warned him to use the back door. Without needing to turn around and look Giles could sense Ethan's grin as he watched the vanishing figure.

"Tell me that wasn't some type of newly hatched brain slug?" Giles asked vaguely.

Giles could feel Ethan's surprise at his response; not about the fact that he thought Ethan might be breeding brain slugs, they both knew that was a possibility, but that Giles didn't care if he had been. All things considered, the brain slug might have been an improvement.

"It wasn't a brain slug." Ethan appeared to fight with himself for a moment "Good idea though." He added at last.

They watched as the boy ran, cursing and leaving a trail of coagulating protein.

"I didn't know eggs could rebound like that." Giles commented finally as he shut the door.

"It is a little known fact." Ethan agreed solemnly.

The two men looked at each other across the hallway.

"It didn't smell particularly good either." Giles tried not to give in to the amusement that he could feel curling up inside him as he spoke. He could feel the smile start and gave up the fight.

"That was all him." Ethan confessed sadly, but then the smile reappeared. "It was a nice touch though."

They stared at each other for a moment longer before both beginning to laugh.

"Perfect." Giles agreed. Still snickering he stepped forwards to claim a kiss. Ethan met him half-way. It was something that Giles had noticed had been happening recently, at least physically. Giles wasn't sure it was a conscious action on Ethan's part and didn't want to mention it in case it wasn't. Experience suggested that there were no good outcomes to any conversations regrading there current arrangements, especially if they even hinted at touching on any of the little peculiarities that Giles had noticed in Ethan's behavior. Like the tidying. Either Giles' memory was more addled than he thought or Ethan had been one of the most fastidious people Giles had ever shared living space with when it came to his personal effects, especially clothing.

Not that there weren't times when Giles considered Ethan's new-found carelessness a good thing. For instance when Ethan was trying to remove their respective apparel while they were half-buried in the coat rack. Giles let his worries go as he concentrated on the wonderful feeling of Ethan against him, Ethan's tongue entwining with his, Ethan's magic calling to his and filling his soul with light. His worries would, after all, be there afterwards but the moment could only last for so long.

"Ethan," Giles tried as they broke apart briefly, "don't have too much fun..." The words were submerged within another kiss "... without me."

Ethan just smiled an unreadable smile and lead Giles back to the living room and the sofa.


	3. Chapter 3

"Adam!" Ethan waved across the crowded platform. Monday rush hour was just beginning to build up momentum, obscuring the view and reducing personal space to a bare minimum. The man sometimes known as Adam gave a small nod in return and navigated the surging crowds with the skill of an pike navigating the river bottom. The big clock ticked silently above them as they met, a remnant of another era making time in the present. They didn't touch, just stood silently for a moment, building between them a small rock of calm around which the tide of people broke.

"Yama." Ethan said in quiet greeting. "Beer?"

* * *

Xander hurried along Fleet Street and wished, not for the first time, that he was back in the States. It wasn't that he had enjoyed living on a Hellmouth, terror had been a much more frequent emotion than joy, but it had been home. It wasn't the big things, like the weather or suddenly being the foreigner, he it was the little things like not being able to get the food he was used to or the little cultural differences... like for example Halloween. What was with the apples? Why would people want apples rather than getting candy? It was insane.

He had actually thought it was a good idea when Andrew had suggested a Halloween party. It was traditionally the Slayer's night off and since Giles had taken care of the Ethan problem they didn't have to worry about any unpleasant surprises. But then Xander had discovered just what was required to organise a party for nearly a hundred people. Especially a party that was going to be mostly composed of teenage women (and the boyfriends and girlfriends that they weren't supposed to have). Xander had been involved in suicidal last stands which had been less stressful and involved less bloodshed.

After some very stiff-upper lip behavior on on the part of the British contingent and a lot of metaphorical hair pulling all around they had got everyone's traditions straight and decided a multicultural event was the way to go. Then they just had to set the most deadly killers in the world to making decorations. Knife practice had suddenly started involving large, round orange targets – which had then, coincidentally, been used in the demon recognition classes - and the only topic of conversation was who was wearing what and going with who.

Despite the best efforts of at least a dozen Slayers Xander had decided to go stag. It wasn't that there weren't nice, although the fact that half of them were suddenly considered legal was more than a bit disturbing, it was just that he really didn't want to chance fate. Given his history, a date with someone even pretending to be something supernatural just seemed to be pushing his luck to far.

Still any party that did not involve real zombies, vampires or demons had a good chance of getting into his top ten. The educational aspect of having a prize for the most accurate costume (no transformations or skinning allowed) was a small price to pay. Unsnared by demon dates and eschewing a costume in favour of the classic tuxedo Xander had allowed himself to believe that everything was set... Then Andrew (who seemed to be sulking about something) had suddenly decided that they needed donuts to hang on bits of string. Seeing a renewed attack by one of the more persistent gaggles of Slayers threatening Xander had volunteered just to get away.

Xander wanted time to think and that was not going to happen with 'The Monster Mash' turned all the way up to eleven. There was something strange going on. Andrew had been acting odd for weeks, although Andrew acting odd was practically the definition of normal, but he had suddenly developed a sense of style which was just... no! It wasn't just him though, there was definitely something going on with Giles. Xander couldn't quite rule out it being an allergic reaction the party and the whole concept of 'fun', but something bothered him even if he couldn't quite put his finger on what that something was. As far as he could tell - everything was good... including the donut he had claimed as delivery fee.

Xander was just licking the sugar from his fingers when something on the opposite side of the street caught his eye. It was the movement that attracted him – swift and evasive. He looked away quickly as he realised what he was seeing – two men, one hidden by the other but definitely kissing. Xander knew it was Britain. He'd heard all about the sort of things that went on there with public schools and suchlike, but that didn't mean he wanted to watch.

His only problem was somehow he couldn't _not_ look. To start with he could only see the back of the nearer man – a three-quarter length, gray coat hung off a lanky build and topped by dark hair – and for that he was glad. If it had been two hot women that would have been different, that was worth watching, but a pair of skinny guys coping a feel... Xander forced his gaze away again, focused on a humourous pub sign nearby and kept walking until he was passed them. Still his eye wandered back to a reflection in a darkened shop window.

For a moment Xander was relieved to see they had separated. Theoretically he had no problem with two guys being together but actually seeing it made him feel a bit... uncomfortable. And not in the good way. The second man was also slender and dark haired. A streetlight added an orange sheen to his complexion as he neared it - illuminating the previously hidden features. Xander stopped. There was something familiar about the face, even half a street away, distorted and backwards. Slowly Xander turned and looked, he had really hoped he had been wrong but his life just wasn't that good. It was Ethan Rayne. In London. On Halloween.

Xander ran.


	4. Chapter 4

Andrew was having a great time. He wished that he had managed to persuade Ethan to come, the man was just so cool, but Andrew understood what it was like being the Lone Rebel On The Wrong Side Of The Law. Obviously now he was happy being the Loose Cannon, Goes His Own Way Hero With A Dark Past but that didn't stop him respecting a cool bad guy. It was like He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named or Darth Vadar. It was Ethan's... panache. You had to lo... respect... that much style. Andrew really respected Ethan. He was just... cool. Andrew sighed quietly to himself. Ethan had done so many cool things and he was so British-y with all that dry humour and sarcasm and he was really old but still look really good... it was everything Andrew would never get to be.

And there was something going on between Ethan and Giles, and only he knew the Big Secret. Andrew knew how the other Scoobies felt about him, he just ignored it in favour of the much better world that he was sure existed even if it was only in his head. Keeping Ethan's presence a secret had been hard – although in rare, lonely moments of self-pity he doubted anyone would have listened to him anyway. But Giles and Ethan had actually thought he mattered. He mattered enough to threaten, and that showed he must be doing something right. It was like on TV when the hero started getting close to the secret then the villain would try to kill him.

Andrew had still secretly hoped that Ethan might come to the party anyway. For him if not for Giles. He had asked and asked until Giles had finally explained to him that Ethan had other plans for Halloween. Andrew could have kicked himself – of course he had! Andrew was bursting with anticipation to find out what Ethan was cooking up. Would he bespell all the party guests? Or would the night end with a moonlight Race Against Time To Undo Whatever Dark Magic Had Befallen London and to which only he (and Giles) had the Key. Thinking about it had been so exciting he had forgotten the donuts and had had to send Xander out to get some.

Andrew helped himself to a well-earned glass of peeled-eyeball punch and wondered whether Xander had gone all the way back to America for the donuts. Or whether, more excitingly, he had got caught up in some Dastardly Plot and needed rescuing by the Young And Handsome Noble Hero.

The doors crashed open revealing Xander and a rather worse for wear bag of donut parts. Now _that_ is an entrance, Andrew thought to himself. Xander was cool. Not as cool as Ethan or Giles or Spike or Anya or Warren had been... not that Warren had been cool because Warren had just used him and not meant the things he had said but... But Xander was still a bit cool. Like Johnathan had been cool.

The Slayer who was acting a DJ cut the music and everyone stared at Xander. He stared back more then a bit wild-eyed and breathless.

"I... saw... Ethan... Rayne..." Xander wheezed.

Andrew could see Giles pushing forwards out of the corner of his eye and did the same. Giles was going to all Head Watcher-y and commanding... Andrew wanted a front row seat.

Giles was frowning. "Are you sure?" He asked hopefully.

Andrew mentally crossed his fingers. If Xander had seen Ethan then maybe that meant Ethan would come to the party. Maybe Ethan would even accompany Giles to work. Then he and Ethan could hang out and Ethan could teach him all sorts of spells. It would just be the two of them, the Master and the Apprentice, the Dark Lords of Chaos. Only not 'Dark' obviously, because he didn't do that any more.

"Oh whole worlds of sure!" Xander insisted. Andrew was enthralled – whatever Ethan was doing it must be really, really Bad. But Xander had come to the right place. He and Giles would mobilise the Slayers, rescue the city and save the day and... "He was... " Xander paused, his breathing approaching even again but the words still not emerging. "With a man." He managed to finish after a few unsuccessful tries.

"Was it a vampire?" One of the crowding Slayers asked hopefully.

"Or a demon?" Added another.

Xander looked confused.

"What did the man look like Xander?" Giles coaxed. The Slayers huddled around, waiting. Andrew looked from fake archfiend to sexy devil to anthropomorphic animal. The aura of violence hung over every one, a palpable reminder of what they were and what they could do. Sometimes they frightened Andrew a bit. He knew power, he had been there – the Big Bad – but this was real.

"I didn't get a very good look." Xander babbled "I mean, I wasn't looking. Because that would have involved looking and wanting to look, and I didn't, and..."

"Xander!" Giles interrupted him.

Annoyance warred with confusion, and more than a little consternation on Xander's face. "Okay – but just so we are all clear I wasn't looking." He swallowed as the massed ranks of Slayers and their attending Watchers glared at him. "Tallish. Short, dark hair. Skinny. Gray coat, sort of baggy." Xander shrugged. "I didn't really get a good look. I mean I wasn't..."

"Looking." Everyone finished for him.

"Well I wasn't." Xander huffed.

"Ethan wasn't sacrificing him or anything was he?" Giles worried.

Andrew's eyes widened. Ethan had sacrificed people! It was something else that they had in common. They had both touched the Dark Side and knew what it was like to Take A Life. Andrew felt a warm swell of contentment inside him. Xander didn't understand how things were, not like he and Giles did. They understood the charismatic appeal of the Dark, Dangerous and Powerful. Xander was just so Sweet and Innocent.

"Err... nooooo." Xander apparently decided to dismiss that thought. "Sacrificing would have been better. I mean not for the sacrifice obviously. But for me..."

Giles took his glasses off and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Just tell us what they were doing."

"Oh." Xander stopped short. "I think they were kissing. Although the vampire idea is sounding promising."

Giles turned away, polishing his glasses. Andrew was close enough to him that he heard the muttered "I'm going to kill him," although he doubted anyone else did. Andrew wondered which 'him' Giles meant.

The Slayers milled around uncertainly. "So do we need to go kick butt or not?" A tall black girl dressed as Wonder Woman asked.

"Can I vote for the 'not'?" A velvet voice from the doorway drawled.

"Ethan!" Andrew blurted happily into the silence.

Ethan Rayne at his party - it was even better than Andrew had imagined. Ethan looked like an angel that had given up heaven as a bad job because the dress code wasn't up to his standards. He was everything Andrew dreamed of when he thought of Sex, Magic and Rock and Roll. And behind Ethan like some malevolent spirit the other man hunched, gray woolen wings wrapped around himself and eyes sharp. Andrew barely stopped himself from rushing forwards to meet them.

"Someone leash Scrappy before he hurts himself." Ethan insisted acidly.

'That's me' Andrew wanted to shout but Xander was already giving him suspicious looks. He reminded himself he wasn't supposed to know about Ethan being in London, or staying with Giles, or wearing Giles' dressing gown or leaving the odd item of clothing strewn around Giles' house. If Xander realised he had known all along then Andrew was in big trouble. He'd overheard Ethan whispering something to Giles about sending him to Babylon the last time he had dropped around and he really didn't want to go to the Middle East. He'd heard they didn't like Americans there for some reason. And he sunburned really badly.

Ethan wandered a few steps in and contemplated first the decorations then the audience. The crowd drew back from him, cracks spidering through the gathering to leave Xander and Giles in individual blisters of space. Trapped by Xena, a pink kitty and an East Asian Lara Croft Andrew struggled to see what was going on. Pushing his way past an unfortunately substantial ghost he was able to witness Giles stalking forwards.

Andrew held his breath as Ethan and Giles faced off, glaring at each other. At that moment Andrew would have sworn that he could see the energy crackling between the two of them. Then Ethan's mouth quirked into a smirk and suddenly Giles was smiling back.

The crowd sighed, the sound rippling from one person to the next like wind through the leaves.

"Do I want to know?" Giles asked quietly.

Andrew felt himself blushing and was unsure why. He had never really thought about the relationship between the two men. In the back of his mind Andrew had known that they were in a relationship with all that implied but somehow it had never been... real. They were the antagonists from Xander's stories, they were the Head Watcher and his old friend... they were like Londo and G'Kar! And they were old!

But now Giles and Ethan were standing in a room full of people, not touching, and it was the most intimate thing Andrew had ever seen. Including the time they had watched Anya and Spike having sex in the Magic Box. Andrew wasn't sure what it was, the hint of old magic overlaid with the spark of new or just the teasing warmth that enveloped the two of them and shut out the rest of the world.

"It was your fault." Ethan insisted. "All your minions were supposed to be safely tucked away in their pumpkins. It is getting to the point that law abiding people can't have a quiet drink, divination and séance without being..."

"Molested?" Giles suggested tightly.

"Don't blame Ethan." Ethan's familiar interrupted quietly but clearly. "He spotted that we were about to get spotted and I... improvised."

Giles didn't take his eyes from Ethan as he spoke "Did you want me to mail Joe the details?"

The man widened his eyes and shook his head slightly. Andrew wondered about him. Who was he? He seemed young, or at least young compared to Ethan and Giles. Andrew could imagine him surrounded by books and papers but not magical paraphernalia and sacrifices. Which raised the question – how did he know Ethan? If it had been Giles introducing him - not that he had been introduced - then Andrew would have guessed that the man, whatever his name was, was a researcher of some type. As it was, Andrew had to wonder if he was even human. Not that it really mattered, he seemed harmless.

"Ethan?" Giles returned to his original line of questioning "Law abiding?"

Andrew kept watching the slender man. Now that the attention had shifted from him again the man relaxed slightly, eyes still watchful but with an amused, almost proprietorial, gleam. The echo of a smile hinting at hidden knowledge and tempting depths. Andrew realised he was fascinated and he wasn't sure why.

"Gravity." Ethan hadn't let the smirk drop during the interruption and it tinged his voice "I said 'law' not 'laws' after all."

"You did." Giles agreed.

Andrew wanted to keep watching the Mysterious Stranger but he could see Xander moving in his peripheral vision. The one-eyed man was looked as close to angry as Andrew remembered seeing since Sunnydale.

"Look, G-Man, sorry to butt in here but what the hell?"

Andrew almost winced as Giles visibly crashed back to reality. Ethan's face tightened in obvious dislike but he said nothing as Giles turned to face his accuser.

"Xander..." Giles placated.

"No. No with the 'Xander'. That is Ethan Rayne" Ethan bowed sarcastically at Xander's introduction and the ripple of interest it caused, "and unless I have fallen into some alternate dimension he is one of the bad guys. For God's sake he tried to kill us. Have you forgotten that?"

"He wasn't trying to kill you." Giles argued unconvincingly.

Ethan studied his nails "It would have just been an added bonus."

Xander glared at him.

"Not helping." Giles hissed.

Ethan's look eloquent expressed his thoughts on that subject. Andrew tried not to grin. He had been on the receiving end of Xander's displeasure for long enough that it was actually enjoyable to see someone else bearing the full brunt of Xander's disapproval... and not caring.

"Look, Giles," Xander took a deep breath, "You know I respect you but we went through this shit with Angel, and I don't need to remind you what happened with him. Then Spike, and I know what you thought about that."

"And with Anya and Willow." Giles pointed out coldly. "I didn't hear you complaining about them."

"Anya and Willow were, are, our friends. They were people we loved."

The words hung in the air, invisible ice carvings that froze the room with their presence. Even Xander was shocked to speechlessness by has own vehemence. The blanched expression on his face seemed to suggest that he wanted to take the words back somehow and make them unsaid. The final, point-of-no-return phrase in an incantation had the same feel, and the same tense seconds before you know whether your spell was successful or going to blow up in your face and make you a demon chew-toy.

Andrew had always secretly thought the Giles was very brave, it was one of those little thoughts that he didn't like to admit to having, but when he thought of Giles he thought of a Hero. One of those very British heroes like you saw in old war movies, with the Stiff Upper Lip and the Fearlessness In The Face Of Certain Doom. Giles was like Jean-Luc Picard, only English-English rather than English supposed to be French, but still... Giles could have captained the Enterprise any day. Andrew didn't think Giles had ever done anything as brave as when he looked Xander directly in the face.

"And if I love Ethan?"

It was a Jean-Luc 'there are four lights' moment. Andrew didn't think he could breathe. It was just so... so... He hugged himself because he didn't have anyone else to hug. He didn't think there was anyone else who understood quite how amazing, how special, what they had just witnessed was. Even Ethan's friend just stood there, pale and silent as a statue. And Xander... Xander just looked between Giles and Ethan, both for once somber, and scrabbled for words and meaning.

"No!" He looked back and forth as if the movement of his head would shake some sense into the world. "He's... well maybe, but you... you're not... No. Just no! Why? How? No, I don't want to know. When? It can't be. It's a spell, it has to be. He's done something to you..."

"There is no spell." Giles broke in "This isn't something new, just... renewed. You don't need to worry..."

"What?!" Xander covered his ears "La La La! I am not hearing this! Are you trying to tell me that Ethan has reformed and is fighting the good fight now? Suddenly found a spare soul somewhere?"

Ethan opened his mouth to respond but Giles' hand on his arm stopped him.

"No." Giles said firmly. "He hasn't 'reformed', he hasn't joined any fight on any side. He is the same man that..."

"That same man that tried to kill you... that tried to kill Buffy! He tried to sacrifice new born babies to bad evil demons! Have you forgotten that?! He is the type of person that we fight. I don't believe this. I don't believe you..."

The audience was getting restless. Andrew could hear it, they rattled around the hall like a sword loose in its scabbard. Andrew began to back away. It never did any good to be around this type of conversation. Soon his own slightly murky past dealings would be raked up and then he would be drawn in and then Xander would figure out how long he had known. It wasn't even an interesting fight, he heard a few variants of it over himself and Spike so he didn't really need to listen to it again. Not when there were much more intriguing conversations he could be involved in. Andrew slid over to Ethan's friend.

"I didn't get your name or anything?" Andrew began.

The man smiled, hazel eyes flaying Andrew even as their gaze warmed him. "No you didn't." The man agreed.

Andrew considered that.

"Are you, like, a demon or a mage or something?"

"Me?" The man laughed "I'm just a guy. Sorry."

A nearby Slayer dressed as a bunny-girl edged closer.

"So you aren't evil?" She asked sadly.

Taking her hand the man bowed slightly and brought it to his lips.

"Never on a Monday." He assured the blushing girl.

The bunny giggled delightedly and as soon as she was released bounced of to tell her friends. Andrew felt slightly jealous, he had been the one to talk to the man after all. Andrew shifted uncomfortably as the man watched him again.

"So, uh, what are you doing here?" Andrew tried.

The man shrugged slightly "We had some shared history we needed to discuss." He winced as Xander hit a particularly discordant note in his tirade. "Do you think this is likely to go on for much longer? Ethan and I have another appointment."

Andrew listened to current verse in the bitter exchange. "Shouldn't be long now," he opined. "Xander's gonna give up on this round soon and call in reinforcements. Giles might not listen to him but he'll listen to Buffy."

The man nodded as if he knew who Andrew was talking about. Once again Andrew tried to work out how to ask the man who he was. If he hadn't been leaning against the door post Andrew would have tried to surreptitiously poke him to check he was solid and not some type of spirit. Or maybe he was an elf Ethan had conjured up for who knew what purpose. Andrew certainly felt like a hobbit being tested when the man concentrated on him. Or a wraith. He would make a good wraith. Andrew was about to just ask the man his name when Xander stopped yelling.

"You don't believe me – fine!" Xander's voice was dangerously calm, cutting through the crowd in a way his raised voice had not "But I'm telling Buffy."

With that he walked straight passed Andrew, passed the stranger and out of the door.

"Well that was fun." Ethan commented into expectant hush. "Now if you don't mind I have things to see and people to do."

"Just try not to get in to too much more trouble." Giles pleaded. Andrew wondered how Ethan could walk out on him after everything Giles had said and done for him. Couldn't Ethan see Giles wanted some support? Or didn't he care? For the first time Andrew felt disappointed in Ethan.

"No promises." Ethan looked over towards the door and, Andrew realised, his friend. "But we'll do our best not to get caught."

Giles shut his eyes tiredly. "Just go and do what you need to do." He sounded defeated "I don't want to know."

Ethan frowned but turned to leave without a word. It wasn't right, Andrew decided. Ethan couldn't just leave like that. He couldn't desert Giles so callously. It was Halloween! It was the night for fun and mischief not misery and even Andrew could tell Giles wasn't looking happy. Andrew couldn't understand why Giles was just letting him leave? Worse, why Ethan was just going? It wasn't fair! Where were all the schemes and pranks? Andrew knew he had to be good now, and, sure, it was nice being one of the good guys... but he had thought up some pretty good tricks in his time, not that he had been allowed out to try any out. Ethan had been his chance for a partner in crime, for a chance to break the rules even if it was vicariously. And now Ethan was just leaving him? And Giles of course.

Andrew took a deep breath and released his fear to the Force. He could confront Ethan. He could demand an explanation for his behavior. It was all up to him!

"But what did you do for Halloween?" Andrew pleaded as Ethan got close enough that he could ask. "You must have done something fun."

Ethan stared at him as if Andrew had suddenly developed an extra head.

"I enchanted every front door in the city with a brain slug." Ethan informed him flatly. Andrew heard Giles choking somewhere behind him but he just stared at Ethan wide-eyed. That was more like it! He wondered if there was a way Ethan would take him wherever he was going. "Now if you will excuse me I have to go and see a dead man about a horse."

Ethan's friend looked up at that comment but then shifted his gaze to over Ethan's shoulder. Ethan rolled his eyes but turned – Giles had not moved from his spot, nor had the crowd closed around him. The hall was bursting with opinions and gossip but Giles stood alone in the calm eye of the gathering storm.

Andrew would have sworn he heard Ethan say 'bugger'. Then, in front of all the watching crowd, Ethan walked back to Giles and kissed him deeply. "Ripper..." The name was purred as both men had to come up for air. "I'll see you later!"

Andrew took back all the bad things he had thought about Ethan as, with a final, departing wink, Ethan left with the strange friend with whom he had arrived

The silence stretched in the wake of their departure. It was one of those occasions when something just had to be said, so Andrew said it: "Oh Wow! That was so cool!"


End file.
